Coil handling device



Aug. 14, 1962 cs. M. CRIGER COIL HANDLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledOct. 21. 1960 FIG-1 INVENTOR. GLENN M. CRIGER FIG-2 1962 cs. M. CRIGERcon HANDLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 21, 1960 FIG-4 26 FIG-5INVENTOR 24 GLENN M. GRIGER Kai Jm United States Patent Cfiice 3,049,314Patented Aug. 14, 1962 3,049,314 COIL HANDLING DEVICE Glenn M. Criger,Riverside, Calif., assignor to Aluminum Research Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 64,109 4 Claims.(Cl. 24279) This application relates to winding and reeling and relates,in particular, to winding and reeling sheet material.

As i well known in the art, the advance of sheet material, such as sheetmetal, from a supply reel, mounted in a supply stand, through a processmachine to a take-up reel rotatably mounted in a take-up stand on theopposite side of the machine involves constant removal of empty reelsfrom the supply stand and the subsequent introduction of empty reels inthe take-up stand as coils of material are advanced through the machine.

It is further Well known in the art that near the takeup stand, there isusually available a device known as a wrapper, a typical embodiment ofwhich is shown in US. Patent 2,345,756, utilized to partially encirclean empty take-up reel to facilitate starting a leading edge of materialabout the empty reel.

As soon as several layers or convolutions are established upon thetake-up reel, the wrapper is removed and returned to its rest positionawaiting use upon introduction of the next empty reel in the take-upstand.

In prior art devices the wrapper or its equivalent is invariably aninstrumentality independent from the device utilized to convey andinsert an empty reel in the take-up stand. Thus, the wrapper is utilizedonly after the empty supply reel has been mounted in the supply standready for receiving sheet material.

Although the wrapper device disclosed in the exemplary embodiment of theinvention is a belt wrapper, it is not intended that the practice of theinvention be so limited recognizing that any wrapper device whichpartially encircles the reel will produce the desired result.

The present invention contemplates a process or method of handling sheetmaterial passing from a supply reel to a take-up reel wherein thewrapper device has at least a dual function, namely, 1) serving in theconventional fashion to facilitate the Winding of the initial severalturns on the empty reel and (2) utilization as a material handlingdevice for receiving and conveying an empty reel to the take-up stand.

Therefore, a particular feature of the present invention is theprovision of a winding and reeling method in the sheet metal art whereina wrapper device is utilized to accomplish several process steps.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a winding andreeling process where a wrapper device is utilized as a materialhandling device.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a winding andreeling device wherein the instrumentality ordinarily used to convey andinsert an empty reel in a take-up stand comprises a wrapper device.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent from an examination of the succeeding specification when readin conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of apparatus operable to practice theinvention, the process being at the point where a supply reel is emptywhile the take-up reel is full;

FIG. 2 shows the process machinery at the point at which a new supplyreel has been inserted and started and the take-up reel has beenremoved;

FIG. 3 shows the empty reel of FIG. 2 in transit from the supply side ofthe mill to the take-up side;

FIG. 4 is closely related to FIG. 3 in that it shows the introduction ofthe empty supply reel into the elevated belt wrapper device; and

FIG. 5 shows the supply reel nested in the belt wrapper and poised overa full take-up reel all ready for introduction into the take-up stand.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, it is appropriate to indicatethat the process machine shown is a four high mill, indicated generallyby the letter M, and the sheet material being wound is sheet metal,indicated by the letter S.

Obviously the winding and reeling process of the present invention isnot limited to sheet metal nor is the proc-. ess machine limited to afour high mill, these items being specifically designated by way ofexplaining the invention.

Furthermore, the language supply stand and takeup stand are intended todenote devices having rotatable spindles for receiving coils of sheetmaterial packaged upon reels where the supply stand denotes the reelstand arranged at the source from which the material issues while thetake-up stand is that similar device located at the wind-up side of agiven process machine.

correspondingly, a supply reel is the designation given to a reel whilemounted in the supply stand, and take-up reel is that same reel or anysimilar reel which is carried by the take-up stand.

Supply stand 10 is shown rotatably supporting a reel 11 from which thetrailing edge T of a coil of sheet metal C has just run out.

The empty reel 11 is shown cradled in one wing 12 of an S-shaped dualcradle device rotatably carried by an arm 13 operative to be rotatedabout pivot 14 by suitable means to lift the empty reel 11 out of thesupply stand and carry it to the position shown in FIG. 2.

Note that a pair of pinch rolls 16 and 17 are shown open ready toreceive the leading edge L of a new supply of sheet metal material Sdefining full coil 18 wound upon reel 19 carried by movable trolley 21.

FIG. 2 shows full coil C after removal from the takeup stand 22 anddisposed upon a movable trolley 23.

An empty reel 24 carried in an elevated position (FIG. 1) by a beltwrapper 26 is lowered to the position shown in FIG. 2 wherein the reel24 is rotatably mounted between centers in the take-up stand 22 in wellknown fashion.

Note that the belt wrapper 26 is utilized to convey the empty reel tothe stand 22.

The leading edge L of the coil 18 has already been introduced to themill M and pinch rolls 16 and 17 have been closed to advance the sheet Sthrough the mill. The leading edge L is frictionally pinched between theexterior surface of the reel 24 and the belt wrapper in well knownfashion to wind the first several layers or convolutions of sheetmaterial upon the take-up reel.

FIG. 3 shows the belt wrapper device 26 having been returned to itselevated position over take-up stand 22 where it is poised to receiveempty reel 11 now having been deposited by the elevator arm 13 upon ramp27 so that reel 11 has responded to gravity and rolled to the right, asviewed in FIG. 3, across the top of the mill where it is retained by thelip 28.

In FIG. 4 the lip 28 has been lowered about pivot 29 to provide a freerun for the reel 11 into the belt wrapper 26 where it is retained, as ina sling, poised in an elevated position for further transfer downwardlywhere it is received within the spindles of supply stand 22 as has beendescribed in connection with reel 24 of FIG. 2.

The pinch rolls 16 and 17 are relaxed, if desired, during the transferof the main body of the material through the mill M as there is usuallysufficient friction in the '3 a take-up stand drive, and in the millitself, to continue advance of the sheet material.

FIG. shows the elevator arm 13 returning to the position shown in FIG. 1wherein opposite sling 31 is utilized to partially encircle reel '19after all sheet material has been withdrawn to lift it to the positionshown in FIG. 2 whereupon the process steps just described are repeatedto transfer reel 19 to the other side of the mill where it is utilizedas a take-up reel.

It is to be specifically understood that the present inventioncontemplates a variety of paths of transferring empty reels from oneside of a process machine to the other so that they may be utilized in atape-up stand when empty.

For example, it is anticipated that the reels may be passed under aprocess machine where they are received in a belt wrapper or around theside of the machine or over the machine as shown in the presentdescription of the invention.

The significant process steps and those which it is desired to protecthinge around the use of the belt wrapper device 26 as a means forconveying or handling an empty reel in addition to the ordinary functionof a belt wrapper, namely, insuring tight winding of the first severalreels of a new coil of sheet metal material.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of handling supply reels and take-up reels used to pay offand take up coils of sheet material advancing through a proces machinefrom a. supply stand located on one side of the machine to a take-upstand located on the opposite side of the machine where the sheetmaterial is started upon the take-up reel by a wrapper device comprisingthe steps of continuously winding the sheet material upon the take-upreel until the supply reel is empty and the take-up reel is full,passing the empty supply reel to the opposite side of the machine,depositing the empty reel in a wrapper device, removing the full take-upreel from its stand and utilizing the wrapper device as a sling toposition the empty reel in the take-up stand, retaining the wrapperdevice at the take-up stand until the leading edge of a new coil isstarted upon the empty reel.

2. A method of handling supply reels and take-up reels used to pay offand take up coils of sheet material advancing through a process machinefrom a supply stand located on one side of the machine to a take-upstand located on the opposite side of the machine where the sheetmaterial is started upon the take-up reel by a belt wrapper comprisingthe steps of continuously winding the sheet material upon the take-upreel until the supply reel is empty and the take-up reel is full,passing the empty supply reel to the opposite side of the machine,depositing the empty reel in a belt wrapper, removing the full take-upreel from its stand and utilizing the belt wrapper as a sling toposition the empty reel in the take-up stand, retaining the belt wrapperat the take-up stand until the leading edge of a new coil is startedupon the empty reel.

3. A method of handling supply reels and take-up reels used to pay offand take up coils of sheet material advancing through a process machinefrom a supply stand located on one side of the machine to a take-upstand located on the opposite side of the machine where the sheetmaterial is started upon the take-up reel by a belt wrapper comprisingthe steps of continuously winding the sheet material upon the take-upreel until the supply reel is empty, passing the empty supply reel tothe opposite side of the mill, depositing the empty reel in a beltwrapper, removing the full take-up reel from its stand, utilizing thebelt wrapper as a sling to position the empty reel in the take-up stand,retaining the belt wrapper at the takeup stand until the leading edge ofa new coil is started upon the empty reel and returning the belt wrapperto a position to receive another empty reel.

4. A method of handling supply reels and take-up reels used to pay offand take-up coils of sheet material advancing through a process machinefrom a supply stand located on one side of the machine to a take-upstand located on the opposite side of the machine where the sheetmaterial is started upon the take-up reel by a belt wrapper positionedupon a movable support comprising the steps of continuously winding thesheet material upon the take-up reel until the supply reel is empty,passing the empty supply reel to the opposite side of the mill,depositing the empty reel in a belt wrapper, removing the full take-upreel from its stand, utilizing the belt wrapper as a sling to carry thereel and to position the empty reel in the take-up stand, and retainingthe belt Wrapper at the take-up stand until the leading edge of new coilis started upon the empty reel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,309,781 OBrien Feb. 2, 1943 2,708,078 Shakely May 10, 1955 2,734,405Cozzo Feb. 14, 1956

